White House halts key weapons shipments to Ukraine

Against the background of ongoing Russian air attacks on Ukrainian cities, the USA has temporarily stopped supplying Ukraine with missiles for Patriot air defence systems and other precision weapons.

This was reported by NBC News with reference to a statement by White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly. According to her, the decision was taken in the interests of US national security and is related to the Pentagon's large-scale revision of foreign military aid.

The US Department of Defence has not yet commented on the situation, but NBC sources provided a list of weapons, the supply of which has been suspended. It includes:

• missiles to Patriot systems;

• 155 mm fragmentation-fuzed artillery shells;

• 100 Hellfire missiles;

• 250 GMLRS missile systems;

• dozens of Stinger, AIM (air-to-air) missiles and various types of grenade launchers.

As the publication notes, the supply freeze is of an indefinite nature. The resumption of aid may happen after the audit is completed, but priority will be given to other countries if it turns out that ammunition stocks are limited.

According to The Wall Street Journal, this decision indicates a decrease in the level of support for Ukraine from the Donald Trump administration. Representatives of the Republican team emphasise the need to focus on countering threats from China, as well as strengthening the military presence in the Middle East.

Politico previously reported that the Pentagon decided to suspend deliveries of anti-aircraft missiles and some ammunition in early June. However, it has only come into effect now, during one of the largest offensives by Russian troops on the Ukrainian front.